Method of treating fibers or yarns



terns nrrnn PATENT tron.

\VILLIAM JNO. VILLIAMS, OF CAMDEN, NElV JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,409, dated February 5, 1889.

Application filed May 24, 1888. Serial No. 274,960. (No specimens.)

T0 aZZ rah/0112 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM JNO. WIL LIAMS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Camden, New Jersey, have invented a Method of Treating Fibers or Yarns, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufz'tcture of fabrics of cotton, wool, silk, or other fibers considerable difficulty is experienced in kcepingthe fibers and the yarn made therefrom sufficiently moist to be properly operated on in the various machines through which they are successively passed in making the fibers up into yarns or threads and in knitting or Weaving the yarns or threads into fabrics. It the fibers or yarns become too dry, they are apt to break, and more or less trouble is experienced by the electricity generated when the fibers or yarns become too dry.

Various means have been proposed for keeping the fibers and yarns moist-as, for instance, by the use of steam-sprays or by dampening the fibers or yarns with solutions of borax, Glaubcrs salt, or carbonate of soda, which solutions were intended to prevent the fibers or yarns losing their moisture. The use of borax, Glaubers salt, or carbonate-of-soda solutions is, however, attended with the disadvantage that it causes the wire-card clothing and combs, or any bright metal on the textile machinery, to become ox idized or rusty. I have discovered that this ditficulty of the oxidizing or rusting of the bright metallic portions of the textile machinery may be avoided and the fibers or yarn kept moist, without danger of causing oxidation or rust, by moistening the fibers or yarn with a solution of a sodium phosphate, preferably in the form of trisodium phosphate. The fibers or yarns may be moistened with this solution at any convenient stage in the manufacture of the fibers, yarns, or fabrics as, for instance, previous to the passing of the fibers through the carding or combing machine. This solution. keeps the yarn moist throughout the process, and in that Way entirely prevent-s the difficulties which would otherwise arise from the generation of electricity and prevents the snapping or breaking of the fibers and yarns. At the snne time the solution has the effect of keeping the wire of the card-clothing, the teeth of tie combs, and other bright metal parts of the machinery with which the yarns come into contact perfectly clean, bright, and free from rust, so that the expense of cleaning, polishing, or renewing these bright metal parts is saved.

- I claim as my .inventiou-- 1. The mode herein described of keeping fibers or yarns moist in textile manufactures, said mode consisting in subjecting the fibers or yarns to the action of a solution of phos phateef soda, substantially as set forth.

2. The mode herein described of keeping fibers 0r yarns moist in textile manufactures, said mode consisting in subjecting the fibers or yarns to the action of a solution of trisodium phosphate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VM. J NO. \VILLllAMS. lVitnesses:

JOHN W. PREsTWIcH, LOUIS B. HUMPHREYS. 

